Eurostar teams up with Railschool in East London to create training opportunities for young people

26 Jun 2007

--Apprenticeships offered at new Temple Mills Depot--Support for Railschool's trainers--Class 73 locomotive loaned to Railschool
Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train operator between the UK and the continent, has linked with Railschool, a vocational training facility covering the London Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney, to support educational opportunities for 14 – 19 year olds.
In November, Eurostar will open its new depot called "Eurostar Engineering Services Temple Mills" near Stratford, close to Railschool, and the train operator wants to maximise its role in supporting skills development and training in the local community.
Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney have some of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Eurostar currently take on 2-3 engineering apprentices each year, working together with Newham College who provide a four-year Electrical & Mechanical Engineering modern apprenticeship programme. From 2008 Railschool will provide Eurostar with suitable apprentice applicants who have completed the Railschool programme.
Eurostar will offer one of its soon-to-be-redundant Class 73 'rescue' locomotives on permanent loan to Railschool. The loco will be repainted and upgraded at Acton Works in London and will be used for training purposes by the students. Eurostar will also provide a Senior Traction and Rolling Stock Trainer to assist Railschool trainers.
Railschool's mission is to bridge the gap between the basic skills taught during secondary education and the needs of the rail industry for job-ready candidates who are ready to develop their careers in a safety- focussed and customer-driven industry. Railschool is funded by the Learning & Skills Council and is based at the North Woolwich Old Station Museum. It has 3km of working railway.Eurostar's Chief Executive, Richard Brown, commented: "We will be the new kids in the neighbourhood, and our engineering and production teams have a wealth of knowledge. We want to share this with enthusiastic and talented youngsters who have a passion for the rail industry. We are here for the long term and it is good for both us and local people that we help to develop good engineering apprentices to fill the jobs we will have in the years to come.
"During Railschool's vocational courses, we will offer students a tour of Temple Mills Depot and a chance to inspect at close quarters our world-class Eurostar trains. We hope this first-hand experience and our involvement with Railschool will inspire local youngsters to join the rail industry."Railschool's Director, Ian Pritchard, commented: "To have Eurostar's state-of-the-art railway depot on our back doorstep is quite simply a unique opportunity for youngsters in east London. We are delighted that Eurostar has been so willing to explore opportunities and to commit to working with Railschool. Eurostar just ticks all the boxes – the sheer size of Temple Mills, the engineering challenge of the trains, the specialist equipment and importantly, engineering experts who can talk about their career and their contribution to an award winning international train service."
Temple Mills will become Eurostar's UK train maintenance depot from November 2007, replacing the current depot at North Pole in north-west London that will close once Eurostar launches services at St Pancras International on 14 November 2007.-ends-Editor's Notes:
1. Eurostar is the high-speed train service linking London, Ebbsfleet (from November 2007), Ashford, Paris, Brussels, Lille, Avignon, Calais, Disneyland Resort Paris and the French Alps.
2. On 14 November 2007, Eurostar's London terminal will switch from Waterloo International to St. Pancras International. Journey times will reduce by at least 20 minutes, with London-Paris down to 2h 15m, London-Brussels in 1h 51m and London-Lille in just 1h20m.
3. On 19 November, Eurostar will also launch services from Ebbsfleet International, a new UK station near junction 2 of the M25 motorway, close to the Dartford Crossing, with journey times that are ten minutes less than from St Pancras International.
4. Eurostar has won the title of "World's Leading Rail Service" for the last nine years at the World Travel Awards.
5. Eurostar and Eurotunnel are two entirely different companies with two different management teams. Eurostar is Eurotunnel's largest customer.
6. To book tickets for Eurostar, or to find out more information, go to www.eurostar.com , call 08705 186186 or contact your travel agent.For more information:
Eurostar+44 (0)20 7922 4494press.office@eurostar.co.uk
Rail SchoolSim Harris, Railschool Comms Manager, 01582 477886

Eurostar International Limited is an Appointed Representative of AWP Assistance UK Limited (trading as Allianz Global Assistance) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). AWP Assistance UK Limited FCA registration number is 311909. FCA authorisation can be checked on the FCA register at http://www.fsa.gov.uk/register/